The present invention relates to a selector mechanism for change-speed gears in a manual transmission which includes a shift-and-select shaft linked with a manual shift lever to be axially moved in selecting operation of the shift lever and to be rotated in shifting operation of the shift lever, and more particularly to a detent mechanism associated with the selector mechanism to prevent unexpected rotary movement of the shaft in its neutral position or shifted position.
Such a conventional detent mechanism as described above includes, in general, a spring loaded follower element in the form of a ball or pin assembled within a portion of a transmission casing and a detent member integrally fixed to the shift-and-select shaft to receive the follower element thereon. The detent member is formed thereon with a plurality of equiangularly spaced axial detent grooves in which the follower element is selectively retained under resilient load to prevent rotary movement of the shaft in its neutral position or shifted position. Although it is advantageous that the detent mechanism can be installed in a relatively narrow space in the transmission casing there will occur large sliding resistance between the follower element and the axial detent grooves of the detent member during axial movement of the shaft in selecting operation of the manual shift lever, resulting in a worse in operational feel of the manual shift lever.